It's Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas

Hot Chocolate!!!!! I managed to make the most epic hot chocolate ever last week when D and I decided to decorate the house. Melt some milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips in milk. Whisk until fully combined. Pour into respective festive holiday mugs. Then add a shot apiece of Kahlua and Smirnoff Toasted Marshmallow Vodka. YUMMMMMMMM. It will warm you right up. See? Hot chocolate isn't just for kids!

After Thanksgiving it was time to decorate for Christmas here at the Wollschlager's. What is super fun about this year is that we actually have a house to decorate. We have furniture and a tree and lights. Last year all we had was a bunch of boxes and no couch and zero counter space in the kitchen. My One Year Anniversary in Germany was on December 1st. It was amazing to think about everything that has happened in the past year while being overseas. I definitely could not have done it without all of the people in my life. I remember last year after I arrived, Jen Wall had celebrated her one year Germany anniversary and I was in awe. I read her blog post, and couldn't imagine what it would be like after living here for a whole year. Now after actually being there, it's pretty magical. So without further ado, here's our decked out house.

I saw this idea on pinterest, and with my newly covered pillows and the AWESOME ribbon I found in our "Christmas In A Box" box, I was able to make it happen! I love how festive it makes the living room feel!

Last year we bought our tree the day after Christmas to save money (half off!!!). So I am really excited to have a tree up for a whole month prior to Christmas! Granted, last year we left the tree up until almost April (oh man, don't say it) because we didn't have any lamps to light the living room. The tree helps light the area tremendous.

The christmas ball above was given to us by the Ndjerareou's this year and is our newest ornament! It's also one of my favorites because it says Merry Christmas in German. The picture ornament was given to us by Mama & Papa W last year with our November wedding picture inside.

The "W" was given to us by Mama & Papa W last Christmas. I was/still am so excited to embrace my new last initial. The glittery red felt snowflake was given to us by the Ndjerareou's last year and sparked the theme for a red and white tree.

The Wallace silver bell was given to us last year by my father. This is a Tudor family tradition I so hoped to carry to my own family someday. My parents bought a silver Wallace Christmas bell every year since I can remember. They were married for twenty-nine years which means that we have at least twenty-nine bells. The Polar Express was one of my favorite Christmas stories growing up. When we would decorate the tree, I would ring the Wallace bells and think of the Bell Santa gave to the boy. When I hear the magical chime of the bell, it means that the Christmas season has officially started... and as the book said, it's the most beautiful sound in the whole world. One of my favorite memories was when the bells would get tarnished and my mother and I would sit there with silver polish and rags and make the bells shine again while telling stories to each other.

Last year we found a box amongst our own belongings. It was labeled "Christmas in a Box". I was shocked and overjoyed to find that Mama W had sent us a huge plastic tote of Christmas decorations from her own home. Some of the ornaments that adorn our tree Dana has had all his life. She included everything you could possibly want or need... ornaments, ribbon, holiday napkins, paper plates, Christmas cards, figurines, a nut cracker & bowl, etc. It was one of the few moments in life where I felt more gratitude than I knew what to do with. It was something my mother would have done if she were still here. So thanks Joan... you truly made our Christmas special... forever.

This quilt is one of my most prized possessions. It's not very big, just a lap quilt... but it was made and hand quilted by my mother. The reason it's so special is that she quilted it during the winter of 2006 during her most vicious round of chemotherapy. If you look closely you can tell when she wasn't feeling well as her stitches get a little shaky. But I treasure this blanket because she sewed a piece of her heart inside. I love you my Sash... thanks for making me a piece of you to carry with me every Christmas.

The Christmas Cards are being made and sent out kids! So get excited to get yours in the mail! I'm doing them ten at a time, so don't get cranky if yours doesn't arrive at the same time as someone else's. I was so thrilled to put them together this year, as they are the first Christmas Cards D and I have sent out since we've been married. The advent calender above on the right is from Mama W. It's a huge blessing because it reminds me of my childhood. My mother always bought an advent calender at Christmas, the kind with chocolates inside. I could hardly wait to find the numbers and peel them back to get a treat everyday! You had better believe I was seriously bummed when I found out that I had to share with my baby brother....

The bakery down the road has started making and selling German Christmas cookies again! I am beyond excited here.... they are all so yummy and not so sweet... which basically means you can eat this entire plate full and not feel like you're going into a sugar coma. Fan-freaking-tastic if you as me!!! This year I decided to do a styled shoot with the cookies as I have learned a lot about food photography throughout the past year (Thanks Jess!!!). Dana found my note to Santa later in the day and proceeded to ask me if I was trying to hint at something.... I just laughed and showed him the photos. But, hey... it couldn't hurt *wink wink*

This past Monday I headed to Otterberg for Samantha's 2nd Birthday. I made "Pretty-In-Pink" Strawberry Cupcakes for her special day. I got to witness all kinds of special birthday traditions such as fairy-bread (toast with birthday sprinkles), colored eggs, and balloon-o-rama. It is such fun to see a mom treat her kids to a special birthday. Bravo Jess... I tip my hat to you. J also did an awesome photoshoot with her daughter titled "Two going on Sixteen". On Monday, I was able to get so me cute shots of J with her girls. So here's some snapshots of our adventures that day.

While at Jess's that day it was day TWO of SNOW!!!!!! I was so excited!!! Particularly when J looked out the window to exclaim "SNOW GLOBE SNOW!!!!". I looked at her like she was nuts and then laughed because she was totally right. It looked like a German winter snow globe outside. So of course while she put the girls down to nap, I went out into the freezing cold, sans-jacket to take photos. EEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

Friday is D's office Christmas Party and Saturday is the Jess's Ugly Sweater Party! Talk about holiday festivities!!! I love this time of year! I'm also hoping to try some holiday baking things and get to work on Leah's branding for her new company! So much stuff... oh and finish my holiday shopping... yikes. Hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday season!!! Lots of love to you all!!!!

Part Seam-stress, Part Foreigner, Part Award Winner, & Soon-to-be Homeward Bound

Current Excitement:
There are three things in life that i will never turn down. Movie-theater popcorn, cupcakes, & ice cream. Imagine my surprise when D & I are driving home from base and we happen upon the ice cream man in our neighborhood! Here's where my brain went nuts... We're in Germany... buying ice cream from an Italian Ice Cream Man... who speaks German, Italian, & English... and he'll accept dollars & euro. I was positively tickled pink! So we flagged him down and D & I both got a Kugel. Which is 1 scoop. I got cookies and cream while dana had Stracciatella (Chocolate Chip). I was interested to find that the cookies for cookies and cream were not Oreos.... but some other kind of German chocolate cookie that tasted strongly of hazelnut and coconut. (: Talk about a wonderful surprise to the end of a hard day! The ice cream man even gave me sprinkles!!!

Part Seam-stress...

As April came to a close I have been in incessant wedding planning mode. Planning a wedding from another country is NOT even REMOTELY ideal. But, i'm trying to do the best i can when what i've got. Which means trying to get as many things completed while i'm here as possible. There's a ton of DIY stuff to do for decorations, but unfortunately i don't want to ship it all back home... which is why i'm headed home a month early to complete the various crafts and tasks before the big day. One of the projects to start while i was here is my flower girl's dress. Dana's & my niece Sophia is going to be our flower girl for the big day. I wanted her to have a fun princessy dress, and i didn't want to spend an arm and a leg on it. TA-DA!! Fairy-Godmother to the rescue!!! I knew Amy would be the perfect person to help me construct the perfect little dress. I met with her and explained what i wanted to do. She then drew up a sketch and we chatted about materials and construction. I was so excited when the day came to actually sew! The only part that's missing (and of course, it's the most important) is the tulle to form the tutu. Tulle costs 7€ a meter!!! Amy was smart in telling me to go home to Jo-Ann's and get it for $2 a yard. This way I can make the skirt as full as i want! All that being said, i'm REALLY pleased with the way the dress turned out. And I can tell Sophia that her dress was made with German fabric! (: 

Part Foreigner...

This is more of an update on everyday life things in Germany.... D & I have taken more walks... and seen more sights... and all around have been pleased as punch to live in a foreign country together. Our life, however, is not perfect.... so don't be fooled. But we try to take pleasure in the small things.... in hopes that one day, our current worries and laments will be no more. I snapped lots of random photos in the past week... Caught the German Postman on film... LOVE the yellow van. lol Captured more typical german houses... Even one with a beehive on the balcony! 

It was a really clear day.... and you can see the rolling hills... LOVE IT!

This is one of my favorite houses... 

Check out the beehive on the balcony... it's the green box.

Dana & I were at Globus (German Supermarket) and we found premixed  Rum & Coke. I know some boys back home who would LOVE this!

This was the day the fog rolled in.... everything is really starting to green up here. it's amazing!

This week we spent weds night with the Amriens and took them to the Asian restaurant down the street. Then came back for an intense game of Scrabble! here is the board results with Paula adding a "D" to "rezone" for the win! It was agreed before we started that German words were allowed. ha!

Dana & I took friday night for us this week as i am leaving soon to head back to the states. We hiked down the hill and across to a neighboring hill to see the castle in Landstuhl. There is a hotel near there called Schloss Hotel (Castle Hotel), so we stopped for dinner. AMAZING food. Highly recommend it to all those here in the area. We pulled out all the stops... both of us having drinks (since neither of us were driving!!!), entrees, THE dessert plate, & after dinner coffee. Not only was everything delicious, but it was beautiful weather... and i got to spend some quality time with D.

After dinner we hiked to the castle... which was surpisingly bigger than i thought it would be. We couldn't go in as it was closed for the evening... but there's a beautiful lookout point where you can see down on the town. So we look out over Landstuhl and what do we see? There's a CARNIVAL behind city hall!!! I was so excited!!! 

see the glowing lights? that's the carnival!!!!

Down the hill we hiked working our way through the maze of streets towards the carnival. I'm amazed at how unless you see the carnival, you'd never know it's there. The streets are so dense with buildings that they block out all the sounds and lights from anywhere around. Finally we made it and i felt like i was 8 years old all over again. This festival had everything from cotton candy to my FAVORITE sour ribbons... to bratwurst and waffles and sugar cinnamon almonds... there were rides and bumper cars!!! there were beer stands and of course fair games! We tried our best to do a bit of everything... including the bumper cars!!! I was most shocked to find my favorite sour candy. i haven't had it in 6 months (which is crazy talk for those that don't know me) and it was awesome to share it with D. His face when he realized how sour it was.... priceless. haha It was by far the most fantastic date night we've spent together in a long time. I felt so blessed that we were able to do this before i leave D for a month. 

Part Award Winner...

So in the last post, i wrote about Toppers... the Theater Awards Ceremony. This post is all about my husband and how proud i am of him. Dana recently was awarded the Tony Sturm Performance Award for the 86th Com Sqd. This was an award he was nominated for by his superiors and then was interviewed by a panel of high ranking brass where he presented his daily work agendas and answered their questions at the end. I attended the luncheon award ceremony where he was announced the winner. I have rarely been so proud. It is an incredible thing to watch someone you love shine so brightly and be revered by their peers. He was also coined again by his commander at the luncheon. (: I know how hard Dana works everyday and i am glad that he was recognized for his commitment and his work performance. i love you D!

Giving his speech after he was announced the winner. Did i mention he'd been out sick with strep all week? and missed the rehearsal for the ceremony... (:

Soon-to-be Homeward Bound.... 

I leave for Texas in 2 days. wow............... time really does fly. On one hand i feel like i've been here forever... and on the other i feel like i just arrived. I never expected i would be this melancholy to leave my life here in Germany. I know that i will be back sooner than i can blink... but being apart from Dana takes me back to a time where we had to wait at least 4 months to see each other again. So there's a knee jerk reaction that makes me feel as if we'll be apart for a LONG time... even though it's only for a month. 

The wedding is looming closer and closer. We skyped with our photographer the other day (geez the technology these days!!!) and I was thrilled!!! Chelsea is wonderful and holds all of our values close to her own heart. She is an amazing addition to the wedding and i am so glad we were able to book her. She and her husband will be attending the rehearsal dinner to meet the family and snap some photos! She even wants to get the wedding featured! Talking with her caused my excitement meter to go WAY up. I could barely contain myself not to start projects here that have to be started in the states. How did i cope? Why, Pinterest of course!

So now the packing is started.. and the lists are being checked off.... and i'm terrified that i'm going to forget something here that i need. I know the next month is going to be a blur. I'm trying my best to enjoy the moments as they come... for the wedding is a once in a lifetime process and i intend to relish in it. It makes me realize that when push comes to shove, the important thing is getting to celebrate with our family and friends... so if every tiny little detail isn't perfect, it's still okay. I am excited to see my family and our friends. It's been entirely too long... and part of me is comforted that this event will allow us to further tighten ties made with people we don't see very often. 

This is my last post here in Germany... so the next time i write i'll be in my kitchen in G-Town withering in the 100+ degree temperature heat index in shorts and a tank top (as opposed to jeans, a long sleeve shirt, house shoes, & a sweater). Look out Texas! KW's coming home!


my love and prayers to you all! see you soon!